The four teenagers aren't in a very agreeable mood at the moment, but there is still one thing they can all agree on: the two coolers they are toting are way too heavy.
"What's even in these things?" Lance whines. "Bodies?"
"Ew, are you trying to make me drop this thing?" Hunk protests.
"Don't you dare drop your end, Hunk! Not unless you guys want a Pidge pancake!" Pidge snarls.
"For the last time, it's just some drinks to have at the pizza party after practice. And if you three would move your legs half as much as you move your mouths, we'd be done with this already!" Keith snaps.
"Well sor-ry Mr. Black Belt!" Lance huffs, rolling his eyes. "Pardon us mere mortals for being burdened by such trivial things as the fact that these coolers weigh a ton!"
Keith rolls his eyes back. He formulates a retort, but keeps it to himself. It's just not worth it with Lance. Besides, he fully agrees that their burdens are quite heavy. His shoulder feels like it's being slowly wrenched out of its socket. It's like the time Allura-sensei had them working on arm bars for an entire practice. Except even two hours of people trying to force him to tap out while he tried to break free didn't leave his arm hurting so much. He silently curses Shiro for asking them to get these stupid coolers from his car.
"Why am I even here to begin with?" Pidge grumbles. "I'm like, the smallest person in the dojo who's more than ten years old!"
"Because they've got to get out extra mats for the guests and you can't handle that on your own but everyone else can," Keith sighs.
"It was a rhetorical question, smartass!"
Yeah, Shiro is so going to pay for sending him out with these louts.
x
The guests have already arrived when they finally make it into the dojo. They're a small group of Judoka from the infamous Galra dojo, and are here for a two-week intensive training camp. It's an exchange the two dojos do every other year. Last time, Lance was still too low-ranked to attend when their dojo went to visit the Galra dojo. At the time he was really disappointed, but right now he's kinda glad he didn't go because those attending the camps are subjected to practice six days a week. And this time around he's not looking forward to that much practice.
Everyone's stretching a bit before they're all called to bow in, and Lance looks the guests over from the corner of his eye. The senseis look tough. The one is a big guy, the kind of person who looks like he could crush anyone he wanted with just his pinky toe. The other is a wiry woman who doesn't look like much in a way that suggests that she is actually super badass. Both have no-nonsense expressions on their faces, and Lance shudders to think what training under them must be like. He can just imagine the insane amounts of push-ups, sit-ups, and burpees they must make their students do.
Having glanced at the senseis first, Lance is expecting a bunch of hard core looking students, but among the first cluster of them he spots, there's only one who looks like he expected: a giant of a girl who Lance is afraid to be thrown by because she'll likely break the mats and the floor with him. But the rest…
There's three other girls, and they're all rather pretty. One is currently in a split that hurts to even look at, and bending her torso every which way effortlessly. She has the longest ponytail Lance has ever seen, and her face is the kind of face that seems like she's smiling even when she's not. Next to her, another girl is moving her hands rapidly, and Lance realizes she's speaking sign language. The sleeves of her gi ride up a bit and Lance almost whistles at the sight of her forearms, which have well-toned muscles that he is in awe of. The last girl in the group has short hair that falls over her eyes, and a serious expression. He wants to make her laugh, since he's willing to bet she'd be positively gorgeous if she did.
Lance almost mistakes the last person in the group for a girl as well. He has long hair that is so blonde it looks white and is almost luminous. Meanwhile, his skin, or what little Lance can see of it, is absolutely radiant, practically glowing with good health. He must take good care of himself. Lance can respect that. The boy is attracting plenty of looks from the Voltron dojo's girls, and Lance feels a pang of envy. When the girls of the dojo look at him, they always have something negative in their expression: annoyance, disgust, horror, and sometimes loathing. But this guy… They look at him like he's made of chocolate and they all want some.
It's only when Keith enters his field of vision and approaches the group of guests that Lance realizes that they've already finished their task and that he is awkwardly hovering by the coolers. God he must look so lame right now. He grimaces, at himself, but also at the fact that Keith who is possibly the most socially awkward person on the planet is the one stepping up to be hospitable. Way to represent the dojo.
Lance jogs over to his bag and grabs the jacket of his gi, shrugging it on and hurriedly tying his belt before heading over to show some real hospitality to the guests before Keith convinces them that the Voltron dojo is super unfriendly. But just as he arrives within earshot he hears it:
"Damn, boi. If you were any less hot, I'd ask where you got all your good features from, but you're just so fine that it must be all-natural perfection."
The newcomer looks up at Keith, an amused smile on his face. The girls giggle. And Lance, Lance is standing in the middle of the mats, mouth hanging open like some sort of flytrap and completely shook. Did- did Keith just say that?
Luckily Shiro calls everyone to bow in and Lance is spurred into motion, saving himself from the complete humiliation that would have come his way had he stayed frozen like that. But he barely hears as the guests from the Galra dojo are introduced as Zarkon-sensei, Haggar-sensei, Lotor, Zethrid, Ezor, Acxa, and Narti. He's just too startled that Keith, awkward, clueless, unsociable Keith, used a line that put every bit of flattery Lance has ever used to shame. And Lance has used lots of flattery in his time. He'd thought he was the King of Flirts, the King of Suave, the King of Pick-up Lines. But his crown has just been stolen by the least likely person. How typical of Keith, to notice the one thing Lance is obviously better at than him and work out a way to one-up him.
Lance remains out of it all through warm-ups. He almost runs into Hunk as they do roll-outs across the mats, and when they're shrimping their way back he actually does run into Matt. And then a drill is announced, and Shiro assigns partners for them, and practice begins in earnest. Before Lance knows it, he is face to face with the sign language girl, and he realizes they're supposed to be doing a drill. Crap. He blinks, looking around for help. The girl- Narti- signs something at him but he doesn't understand and what is he supposed to do and-
"It's a minute drill, idiot," Pidge's voice hisses from nearby. Thank god for Pidge. They'll be taking turns throwing their partner over and over for an entire minute. A grueling drill to start the day with.
"If you're partner is from the Galra dojo, they get first minute," Shiro's voice barks out. "Hajime!"
Lance barely has time to register Shiro's command before he's flying through the air. Even with all his training, he still is almost winded by the force of the throw. Yup, Narti is strong. No doubt about that. Around him, he can see his friends in similar states- Pidge thrown by Ezor, Matt thrown by Acxa, poor Hunk flattened by Zethrid, and- oh god. What was Shiro thinking, pairing Lotor and Keith? Did he not hear that- that- Lance's brain is going to shut down at this rate. He jumps to his feet and lets Narti throw him again, and again, and each time he hits the ground just as hard. But as the minute ends and they switch roles so that he is the one throwing, he feels the "tatami therapy" taking effect, and slowly his mind begins to clear. So what if Keith… did that. It's not Lance's problem. Right now, the only thing Lance needs to worry about is his judo, and that's what he's gonna do.
x
By the end of practice, Lance is exhausted. They all are. Or, everyone from the Voltron dojo is at least. The Galra dojo judoka all look fresh, as if they've barely gotten started and are ready to go run a marathon. Lance secretly hates them now. After the minute drills were over, he got partnered with Pidge for some chokes, and then he and Ezor did mat work. Yoko-shiho-gatame has never been so awkward before. Ezor grabbed way too far up on his leg, and it seemed to be her favorite hold to use. Still, it could have been worse. He could have been Matt, stuck working with Zethrid who didn't even have to use a hold to pin him down because of the difference in weight.
Throughout the whole practice, Keith and Lotor stayed paired together. And Shiro had justified it even! He claimed that since they were the only two black belt students, they ought to gain some experience working with someone of the same level. As if Lance and the others were so far behind! Hunk, Matt, and Lance were all just shy of their black belts. In fact, if Lance hadn't gotten the flu right before the last testing day, he'd already be first dan. And he knew from today that any of those four girls from the Galra dojo were also on that level as well. They might not be as good as him, because, really, who was? But they could hold their own, and so there was no need to promote snooty attitudes like freaking Keith's and now Lotor's.
Lance wants nothing more than to go home and shower, but Shiro made other plans. After all, he'd had them lug those coolers in, and now, there's a guy wearing a uniform from the local pizza parlor walking in and being waved over by Coran-sensei, and before Lance knows it his name is being called and he's being told to go help Keith, Matt, and Hunk grab the pizzas. He groans and quickly strips off his gi before going to help out. He fans himself with the material of his t-shirt as he follows after the other guys. It's hot. As in temperature. If it's looks, then Lance is always hot.
On the way back in with the pizzas, Lance hears a voice saying to him "Here, let me take those." Lance starts to smile and say "Thank you, that's really very kind," when he looks up to see that it's Lotor, causing him to stop after only letting out "Than-". He has to admit Lotor's got a nice smile, with sparkling white teeth. He has to bleach them. Except Lance simply cannot imagine Lotor doing that. And Lotor's eyes… they glint with… intelligence? Amusement? No, what is Lance thinking? Obviously it's devious and cunning and schemes and Lance almost fell for this cretin's-
Lotor suddenly stoops, and Lance is confused, until he looks down and realizes he dropped the pizzas he was carrying. And Lotor CAUGHT them. Dang. Nice reflexes. Also, if the Earth could just swallow Lance up so his useless moronic self can die now that would be great. How many times is he going to make a fool of himself today? At least the Galra dojo guests will be here for another two weeks so he can make up for his bad first impression.
"Lance, I know you think with your hormones more than your brain, but can't you get it together enough to at least hold onto a few pizza boxes?" Keith asks.
"It's a simple mistake that could have happened to anyone," Lotor chides. Keith hmphs his disagreement, and continues his journey to where some of the other students have cleared the mats and set up some tables. Lotor smiles benignly at Lance.
"If you'd like, you could come sit with me and my friends?" he offers.
"Thanks, but no thanks," Lance says tightly. Lotor shrugs.
"Suit yourself," he says. He follows Keith to put the pizzas on the table. Hunk and Matt have already deposited the boxes they were carrying as well, and the hordes of hungry judoka descend on the tables, ready to devour every last piece that they can. Lance joins the mob, because to wait would mean not getting any pizza, and snags two slices of pepperoni and a third slice with veggies all over the top because his mom is always nagging him about not eating enough fruits and veggies. He finds a corner to sit in and is almost immediately joined by Pidge and Hunk. He DOES NOT take note of the fact that Keith is sitting with Lotor and those four girls.
"So, uh, what was with you today?" Hunk asks quietly.
"Yeah man, you're always a little bit peculiar, but today you were a total space case," Pidge agrees.
"I guess I was just a little weirded out is all," Lance admits. "I mean, that thing with Keith…"
"Oh no. If this is about Keith then let me go get some painkillers from Allura-sensei because by the time you're finished bitching and moaning about everything that's wrong with Keith I'm definitely going to have a headache," Pidge gripes.
"It's not like that this time!" Lance protests.
"So you do admit you have a bee in your bonnet about Keith?" Pidge says with a sly grin.
"Shut up. But no, seriously. Didn't you hear him before practice today? That was just too weird."
"What, him being grouchy while we were carrying those overweight coolers?" Pidge asked. "That seemed pretty normal if you ask me. Anyone would be grouchy about being tortured like that."
"No, not that. I mean after! When he was talking to Lotor."
"I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary," Pidge says, looking to Hunk for confirmation. Hunk shrugs as he takes another bite of pizza. While Lance and Pidge have been talking, Hunk has munched his way through four slices of pizza and is working on his fifth. He still has one more slice to go, and odds are that he'll still be giving Pidge hopeful looks in case she doesn't feel like finishing both her slices.
"What do you mean you didn't notice anything out of the ordinary?!" Lance sputters. "He used a line! A pick-up line! Keith! On Lotor! How is that not out of the ordinary?!"
"Um, because Keith uses lines like that all the time?" Pidge says.
"No he doesn't."
"Just because he doesn't try them on you doesn't mean he doesn't use them," Hunk says. "Though I guess it was a bit unusual for Keith to go full-on like that right from the start. Usually he's a bit more subtle than that. Like when he first started flirting with me, I almost didn't notice."
"Wh- He- You- Uh- WHAT?!" Lance chokes.
"I told him I wasn't interested and he backed off right away. Once someone tells him no, he listens. And he doesn't really push any boundaries so that even people who aren't interested don't really feel uncomfortable," Hunk says.
"B- but… He flirted with you?" Lance squeaks.
"You flirt with me all the time, bro," Hunk points out.
"Yeah, but I'm your best friend! It's just a casual bromance, nothing that's going to go anywhere."
"You are so weird. Don't worry, I still love you the best," Hunk says wryly.
"Glad to hear it. But still… Keith flirting…"
"You probably just didn't notice because he doesn't flirt with you," Pidge says.
"Yeah, that is kinda weird," Hunk agrees. "You're like, the only guy he keeps his distance from."
"No, Keith was like that with that Ulaz guy too, remember?"
"The one who got into the car accident?"
"Yeah. He wasn't like that at first, but then he started avoiding Ulaz, and I heard from Matt that Ulaz had told a bunch of the guys about how at his old dojo there had been this gay guy who was super creepy, and that that happened just before Keith started avoiding Ulaz."
"So what, Keith doesn't flirt with me because he thinks I'm homophobic?" The words come out a bit more hostile than Lance intends, and Pidge and Hunk share a look.
"Oooo, what's this? Do I detect a hint of jealousy?" Pidge asks.
"No way. I hate the guy, so there's no need for him to hit on me."
"You know, they say that hate and love are two sides of the same coin," Hunk says.
"Whatever. I'm just mad that he tried to put the moves on my bestest bro. At least he hasn't done the same to our little Pidgey, right?"
"Um, I wouldn't say that," Pidge says, looking away.
"Wait what," Lance asks deadpan.
"Well the first practice after I got my hair cut short, he mistook me for Matt. Y'know, since Matt hadn't had his growth spurt yet? Anyway, turns out he and Matt have kind of a similar relationship to you two, and so he got a little fresh with me, unintentionally. He was so embarrassed when Matt came up and set the record straight. He may be a smooth flirt, but he's really no good with girls."
"Oh god. I- I just can't right now. Also, Pidge, how could you? You and Hunk both… I feel so betrayed."
"Aw, don't be like that, Lance. Here, have my last slice of pizza," Hunk says, trying to pacify Lance. And since it's Hunk offering up food that he wants for himself, Lance forgives him. And when Pidge offers to get him one of the cupcakes Kolivan-sensei made, he forgives her too. Lance has some good friends.
x
Keith tries to keep his attention on his companions as they sit and eat and chat, but as always, his eyes are drawn towards Lance as if that guy is a magnet. He can see the bond between Lance and Pidge and Hunk in action, and he really envies them that bond.
Keith snaps back to the group as he realizes Acxa just asked him something about the dojo. He's about to apologize and ask her to repeat herself when Matt, who is also eating with them, speaks up and saves his butt.
"Shiro's been the head sensei here for about three years," Matt tells Acxa. "Before that, Allura-sensei's father, Alfor-sensei, was still running the show, but he retired so he could travel to other dojos more."
Keith is extra glad Matt spoke up now, as he wouldn't have known that. He'd been at the Voltron dojo a little less than a year. Before that, he'd been at the dojo in his hometown, but then his mom had gotten a job abroad and she'd decided that rather than move him to another country where they spoke a different language and risk him getting held back because of the language barrier a second time, she'd just send him to live with his aunt and uncle and their son Shiro. That way if he wanted to visit his old friends it was only a two hour drive rather than an entire day of flying. Not that he really had friends to try and visit. Friends hadn't really happened in his hometown. But here was different. He'd gotten lucky this time.
"And you might want to avoid posing any further questions to Keith," Matt continues, and Keith gets a sinking feeling. "He's got a little unrequited crush on Lance going on, and it tends to make him lose his focus. You know how it is."
That was the problem with Matt. He might save your butt one minute and then throw it under the bus the next.
"Unrequited? I thought for sure they were dating though," Lotor says. "They certainly seem to have a lot of chemistry."
"Wait what?" Keith says, feeling himself redden.
"Well he seemed rather upset when you greeted me so… cordially. Not to mention he did glare at me a lot during practice."
"He was probably glaring at me, not you. He does that a lot," Keith says, trying to affect an offhand demeanor. He's not going to get his hopes up. He knows he doesn't stand a chance with Lance.
"But he seemed rather hostile towards me when I invited him to eat with us," Lotor says.
"You invited him to- What? When?"
"After he dropped the pizzas."
"Why?"
"As I said, I thought there was something between the two of you, and he does seem rather interesting."
"Something between us? As if," Keith says bitterly.
"Do I detect a story here?" Ezor asks, leaning in eagerly.
"Not much of a story. I tried to flirt with him, he shut me down completely. He's hated me ever since we met. I'm probably the one person at this dojo he wouldn't ever consider dating. So, yeah, I like him, but it'll never happen."
"That's actually why Keith flirts with everyone else," Matt says with a twinkle in his eye. "He's hoping that maybe he'll find someone to replace Lance in his heart if he does." Keith adds Matt to his mental list of people who he is going to get revenge on. He even grants Matt first place on that list, since right now the only other person on the list is Shiro and what Matt is doing is way worse than making Keith go carry some coolers with his crush.
"Awww, that's so cute!" Ezor gushes. Narti's hands flap into motion and Keith watches in wonder as she speaks. He might have to learn sign language after this, because that is amazing.
"I agree with Narti," Acxa says. "You're not doing yourself any favors with that kind of thinking. Getting over a crush won't be so easy."
"What, does that mean you're still not over Lotor?" Zethrid asks. Acxa blushes and shoots Zethrid a glare.
"What about you, Zethrid? How're you recovering from your own Lotor-crushed heart?" she hisses back.
"Wow, such drama," Matt comments cheerfully.
"Isn't it great?" Lotor says, grinning. He's soaking it all up.
"We all had crushes on Lotor at some point," Ezor tells them. "But then we discovered that Lotor's too in love with himself to fall for anyone else, and well, look at him. It's not like anyone could ever compete with that!" Lotor preens.
Once again, Narti's hands spring into motion. The Galra judoka watch, and then they all burst out laughing, except for Ezor who blushes furiously and protests "I can't help it if I like beautiful people!"
"Narti said that Ezor joined our little group since she was crushing on all of us and not just me," Lotor says near Keith's ear. Keith enjoys the sensation of Lotor's breath, though he can't help wishing it was Lance's breath instead. Lance, who is currently pouting, and now Hunk is offering him a slice of pizza and Lance is shaking his head but smiling gratefully and Keith just knows he's going to hug Hunk, and-
Crap. He did it again. The girls are still teasing each other, and Matt is laughing along with them, but Lotor's looking at Keith with knowing eyes. How embarrassing.
"I'm gonna go get one of Kolivan-sensei's cupcakes," Keith says, eager to escape. He doesn't return to the group after grabbing his cupcake, instead opting to go sit outside the dojo. He's going to need some alone time to get it together.